Herewith the media release on the translocation. It was a "joint" exercise between us and Wilderness Safaris (the concession operating in the Makuleke region - Pafuri - of the KNP).

Hope this helps.

Kind regards
KNP Spokesman

PRESS RELEASE

WHITE RHINO RELOCATION: PAFURI, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

Thursday, 7 July 2005 SANParks, in a co-operation agreement with the Makuleke Community (the Pafuri landowners) and Wilderness Safaris, have relocated four white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) into the Pafuri region of the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa.

There has been an absence of resident white rhino in this area for approx 110-120 years and this re-introduction means the re-establishment of this long absent species in the area north of the Luvuvhu River. The rhino were captured by the SANParks Game Capture Unit (headed up by Dr Markus Hofmeyer) and were relocated from the Satara area. The cost of this capture and relocation will be borne by Wilderness Safaris as their part of the co-op agreement and as the concessionaires in the Pafuri region.

Since their local extinction in the lowveld in 1896, white rhino have been successfully re-established in the KNP which now boasts a large and healthy population of over 5000. These animals, the first re-introductions of which took place in 1961, are mostly restricted to the central and southern districts of the Park with only a very small population establishing itself north of Shingwedzi. The four white rhino introduced last week will enable the establishment of a much needed breeding nucleus further north of here in the Pafuri region. The habitat here is more suitable than the mopane veld which dominates much of the northern district and, as they settle and breed, the rhino will also play an important role as a selective bulk grazer and an important addition to the local ecosystem.

Aside from aiding the establishment of another white rhino population nucleus within the KNP, this release will also provide viewing opportunities of another high profile mammal species for guests of Wilderness Safaris at Pafuri Camp. This will further accentuate the already astoundingly high mammal diversity in the concession where more than 70% of the KNP's fauna is found in an area approximately 1% of its entire size.

Ends
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Notes:
- July 2005 - Wilderness Safaris' Pafuri Camp will be opening in the north of the KNP - South Africa. This follows on from the concession agreement signed between the Makuleke community and Wilderness Safaris in July last year.
- The Limpopo based Makuleke Community were dispossessed of their land in 1969, which they then claimed back in the country's change to democracy. The land was returned to them in 1998 and they became the first community to win back their land in a formally protected park or reserve. The community then made the decision to not resettle on their land in the park, but rather let their ancestral land retain its conservation and protection status as part of the KNP, so that they could earn benefits from leasing their land out to safari operators.
- This is a landmark example of a non-consumptive eco-tourism model on community owned land within the KNP. The project is based on a partnership between the community and Wilderness Safaris.

In 2003 we were in Punda Maria and had a morning walk with the two guides Eziquil and the KNP legend Danial. We were driving to the place where to put the car, when something nice happened. The guides told us that there must be a rhino in this area and that they have spotted the tracks of the rhino for two years without seeing him ever.Like a ghost. Then my son said suddenly, "You mean that rhino over there". "Where where where" they shout. They couldn't see the rhino because we were sitting higher in the back of the car. The guides get nuts and jumped up and down of excitement. I start straightaway to film the rhino.Then they saw him too. It was a big male rhino and finally after two years, there he was. Behind the rhino was walking a hyena.I had never seen such a lucky people like these two nice guides. After a beautiful walk between the big baobab's we drove back to Punda Maria. In the restaurant the whole staff of Punda was coming to see the film of the ghost RHINO. Finally after two years there he was. And they called us the rhino people. I made a copy of the film for them and brought it with me the next time we visit Punda Maria again.

Last edited by Nico on Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Lets change the world of mankind into the world of kind man.[White Bull]

I've prepared a short video snippet to send to the guys at 50/50 to hear what they have to say about the following incident. Maybe some of you have witnessed something similar before.

We sat in a game hide when a white rhino bull appeared. It strolled down to the water and had a drink. After he finished drinking, he strolled around to the other side of the waterhole, entered the water and made himself comfortable by lying down. Almost immediately a terrapin moved into his direction, aiming for the tail. We thought that this poor rhino is going to get it now. To our amazement the terrapin starting picking off the ticks from around the anus of the rhino. This carried on for a very long time until the rhino decided that it was time to return home.

Saw a mother white rhino and an about two-year old calf at Kwaggaspan yesterday afternoon.

They were quietly pretending to graze in the shade near the water (Global warming was in full force) when a bull rhino came trotting out of the bush, obviously very interested in her romantic inclination.

The mother was not impressed, and squared up to the big bull, urinating copiously. The calf was a little confused, but when the mother charged the hapless Romeo it joined in the chase with energy!

The bull tried to get close to the urine (to have a sniff, I suppose), but it was obvious that he had missed the boat and his attitude changed. He even kicked the ground in frustration.

The curious thing was the loud roar given by the mother during her charge. It sounded like a cross between a lion and something from Jurassic Park.

I have only heard them squealing, on tape, and other than that they have been quiet, even at the bomas at Skukuza.

Behaviour:They can reach speeds of up 45 kilometres per hour. They are both diurnal and nocturnal. Nursery herds are made up of a dominant bull, several cows with their calves. Territories can range up to 13,2 square kilometres. Territorial markings include dung middens, well-worn paths, urine spraying, ground scruffing and vegetation horning. Bulls are slightly territorial and cows are non-territorial. Home ranges can range up to 34,7 square kilometres. Calls include grunts, bellows, snorts, roars, shrieks and squeals.

Reproduction:After a gestation of 16 months, a calf of 50-65 kilograms is born. Breeding takes place all year, with an average of 3 year intervals between births.

We also had a unique experience, while staying at Berg-en-Dal in 2001 we went on a late afternoon drive & as we were coming back from the Matjulu waterhole a female White Rhino caused a roadblock for cars on both sides of it, luckily we were right in front of it & as we waited and waited.... we saw something coming out from behind... we watched a White Rhino give birth. It was sheer bliss! The worst part we were out of film!

The last rhino we saw was in Sept 05. He took us for a very enjoyable Sunday stroll down the road for about a km. Every now and then he stopped, looked if we were still following and then continued walking in the middle of the road. We had 6 cars behind us and when he decided to make a wee, (that took about a minute) my daughter thought that he was now marking his territory and where are we going to reverse to?!? That was quite funny at the time.

Well since then, we've only been in the middle and the North and I haven’t seen even one rhino. Believe me there was plenty rhino sightings on the boards...

How can I explain this, we see lions sometimes even 4 times in one day and after 17 days of seeing lions and more lions they start becoming like the impala. Only worth a photo when they are in close range. So when the people stop you to ask if you have seen lion and you rumble-off, ja, we pasted them a couple of times, BUT did you see any RHINO? They look at you as if you come from a different planet…. :huh:

It is absolutely amazing how you could miss something with your whole heart when you just don't see them. All the times that we were in Kruger since '05 we took the looong drive down to the south and out by the bottom gates in an attempt to see rhino. But sadly to say, nothing...

Last edited by wildheart on Mon May 07, 2007 6:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Rhino were of course introduced into the south first - but have been expanding their range ever since. We saw a group of 12 south of Olifants a year ago - and if you do a walk there, usually around Bangu, you will see their trails and middens all over the place. Might not see the rhino of course!

Black rhino have certainly reached Olifants, and white are reported throughout the Park now.

But as with everything in the Park, it is all luck, even when you know where to go. We watched a white rhino in February for 30 minutes walk around a dam south of Olifants, pass with 30 feet of us, cross the road and disappear. As we left another car arrived - and would not have known a thing. As we drove south over the next few days down to LS we saw many rhino - more than I have seen in 20 years! But not a lion to be seen anywhere.